How Do Filipinos View Balikbayans?

[fourtyounce48]

balikbayans? from my own personal experiences its been a mix of positive and negative. some people seem friendly about it while others seem to harbor some animosity if a person is a balikbayan. how do you view balikbayans.

 

by the way ...im 27, born in the PI but moved to the US when i was 6.

[heavygatin_but_cutie]

Different people view balikbayans differently. Some are happy to see them back...some are giving them cold shoulders. Why are these people behaving that way? Well, we should also consider how these balikbayans behave when they are back. There are some balikbayans whose feet are still grounded and are still proud to be Pinoys. on the other hand, there are balikbayans who are arrogant and feeling so proud for reasons that they've been to other countries...some to the point acts as if they are not Pinoys. So...views and treatment of Filipinos to all these balikbayans would depend on how they act and behave when they are back...whether for vacation or for good.

 

well...this is how i view it. kasi personally, i've experienced some pinoys who became so arrogant just because they had the opportunity living in other countries. sarap sapukin at palayasin sa Pilipinas. hehehehe

[fourtyounce48]

Different people view balikbayans differently. Some are happy to see them back...some are giving them cold shoulders. Why are these people behaving that way? Well, we should also consider how these balikbayans behave when they are back. There are some balikbayans whose feet are still grounded and are still proud to be Pinoys. on the other hand, there are balikbayans who are arrogant and feeling so proud for reasons that they've been to other countries...some to the point acts as if they are not Pinoys. So...views and treatment of Filipinos to all these balikbayans would depend on how they act and behave when they are back...whether for vacation or for good.

 

well...this is how i view it. kasi personally, i've experienced some pinoys who became so arrogant just because they had the opportunity living in other countries. sarap sapukin at palayasin sa Pilipinas. hehehehe

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eloquently put. some misinterpretations can be attributed from cultural differences. case in point i hate arrogant people too. but some filipinos ive observed easily misconstrue being opinionated or confident with arrogance. yes its a thin line between the two sometimes....but i know there are conversational differences between the PI and the US. a conversation will be viewed as normal in the US....but be judged in the PI as showing arrogance..... but yeah overall i agree with you.

[jt2003]

eloquently put.  some misinterpretations can be attributed from cultural differences.  case in point i hate arrogant people too.  but some filipinos ive observed easily misconstrue being opinionated or confident with arrogance.  yes its a thin line between the two sometimes....but i know there are conversational differences between the PI and the US.  a conversation will be viewed as normal in the US....but be judged in the PI as showing arrogance.....  but yeah overall i agree with you.

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It's not those who grew up abroad (such as yourself) who really get on our nerves, but those who grew up in the Philippines then come back and act like they own the world, just because they've become US citizens (or British or whatever). "Walang ganyan sa States!" That sort of thing. Some spend several years abroad and come back with an American or British accent. Hell. The current California governer has been living in the US for so long, but he still speaks the way he did decades ago.

Edited January 19, 2005 by jt2003

[fourtyounce48]

It's not those who grew up abroad (such as yourself)  who really get on our nerves, but those who grew up in the Philippines then come back and act like they own the world, just because they've become US citizens (or British or whatever).  "Walang ganyan sa States!"  That sort of thing.  Some spend several years abroad and come back with an American or British accent.  Hell.  The current California governer has been living in the US for so long, but he still speaks the way he did decades ago.

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hahaha...good point. ive seen people like that. they get all snobby after spending a few years abroad. they start nit picking everything wrong with the PI and comparing it to the states. i dont think its something you need to do. but its funny to obeserve though.....because back in the states they are the ones that are low in the totem pole and get shitted on.

[fourtyounce48]

any others....im realling curious about this. i did notice though....that some of the richer filipinos have more animosity towards balikbayans like me. i got in a fight one time in the PI beucase of this. some guy thinking he was a big shot was acting like a jackass. he asked me if i knew who he was.....and i said i dont give a s**t...and got into a fight.

[heavygatin_but_cutie]

any others....im realling curious about this.  i did notice though....that some of the richer filipinos have more animosity towards balikbayans like me.  i got in a fight one time in the PI beucase of this.  some guy thinking he was a big shot was acting like a jackass.  he asked me if i knew who he was.....and i said i dont give a s**t...and got into a fight.

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well..to be fair with rich filipinos..let's not generalize it because of one incident. probably, that guy is really a jackass and some social status affects his sanity. remember...rich people too have balikbayan relatives or friends. remember, it always takes two to tango..so it always depends on how the recepient of the action interprets the action of the party. I think what happened to you is miscommunication/mis-interpretation of actions.

 

anyway, in line with these balikbayans or filipinos who migrated in other countries...i am wondering what causes their arrogant behaviors? what makes them feel better than those who opted to stay in the country? dahil ba dollars ang kinikita nila? pero in reality some of them works as janitors, maids and those white collar jobs sa states .. pero pagdating dito akala mo kung sino. hhhmmm..frustrating diba?

i even had experienced discrimination from 2 filipinas i encountered sa Disneyland. We were falling in line para sa Space Mountain ride...tignan ba daw ako mula ulo hanggang paa. duh? tanunging ko nga ng "WHAT ARE YOU BOTH LOOKIN' AT??!!!" as if!!! gusto ko sampalin ng mga dollars na dala ko eh!!! (oops..dont get me wrong .. i am not rich!) Anyway, these are the kinds of filipinos na sure ka 100% pagbalik sa Pinas ay mga a***h***e! so we cant blame other Filipinos who lived their whole life sa Pinas to be irritated and treat them differently!!!

[fourtyounce48]

well..to be fair with rich filipinos..let's not generalize it because of one incident. probably, that guy is really a jackass and some social status affects his sanity. remember...rich people too have balikbayan relatives or friends. remember, it always takes two to tango..so it always depends on how the recepient of the action interprets the action of the party. I think what happened to you is miscommunication/mis-interpretation of actions.

 

anyway, in line with these balikbayans or filipinos who migrated in other countries...i am wondering what causes their arrogant behaviors? what makes them feel better than those who opted to stay in the country? dahil ba dollars ang kinikita nila? pero in reality some of them works as janitors, maids and those white collar jobs sa states .. pero pagdating dito akala mo kung sino. hhhmmm..frustrating diba?

i even had experienced discrimination from 2 filipinas i encountered sa Disneyland. We were falling in line para sa Space Mountain ride...tignan ba daw ako mula ulo hanggang paa. duh? tanunging ko nga ng "WHAT ARE YOU BOTH LOOKIN' AT??!!!" as if!!!  gusto ko sampalin ng mga dollars na dala ko eh!!! (oops..dont get me wrong .. i am not rich!) Anyway, these are the kinds of filipinos na sure ka 100% pagbalik sa Pinas ay mga a***h***e! so we cant blame other Filipinos who lived their whole life sa Pinas to be irritated and treat them differently!!!

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i can only speak for myself. the 1st time i went back to the PI in 1999....i was appalled. i complained alot and wanted to get out. thats because i expected things to happen the way things happen in the US. since then, ive become less judgemental and just tried to experience things how they are. i could see how filipinos might have thought i was being stuck up being in the situation i was when i first came to the PI. so for me....i think some of "arrogance" came from expecting things to look, feel, and things to happen like in the states. thus my attitude was poor. but i learned from the cliche, "when in rome, do as the romans. ive appreciated more things that are positives of the PI. now i love the place. i go to the PI twice a year just to vacation.

 

so maybe for some people....their arrogance could stem from being frustrated.

[E. Fitzhume]

I think balikbayans esp. from the US tend to criticize everything while in the Philippines. They complain about the trapik, the smells, the "undisciplined." Palagi kinocompare sa States. Nakakainis pakinggan. Para bang sila lang ang may alam. They fail to appreciate the better things in life in the Philippines like family and respect for their elders. Yun lang po.

[fourtyounce48]

I think balikbayans esp. from the US tend to criticize everything while in the Philippines.  They complain about the trapik, the smells, the "undisciplined."  Palagi kinocompare sa States.  Nakakainis pakinggan.  Para bang sila lang ang may alam.  They fail to appreciate the better things in life in the Philippines like family and respect for their elders.  Yun lang po.

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i dont think its a mistake to question things when its obviously wrong. the mistake that balikabayans make is that they dont do anything about it and tend to focus more on the negative than the positives. it does nothing but spoil a vacation.

[heavygatin_but_cutie]

i can only speak for myself.  the 1st time i went back to the PI in 1999....i was appalled.  i complained alot and wanted to get out.  thats because i expected things to happen the way things happen in the US.  since then, ive become less judgemental and just tried to experience things how they are.  i could see how filipinos might have thought i was being stuck up being in the situation i was when i first came to the PI.  so for me....i think some of "arrogance" came from expecting things to look, feel, and things to happen like in the states.  thus my attitude was poor.  but i learned from the cliche, "when in rome, do as the romans.  ive appreciated more things that are positives of the PI.  now i love the place.  i go to the PI twice a year just to vacation.

 

so maybe for some people....their arrogance could stem from being frustrated.

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Well...i am happy that you have made some realizations and you now know how to appreciate your Motherland. And I hope in your own little way, you'll help our confused fellow filipinos out there to appreciate the land of their roots..coz no matter what they do..they will always be Filipinos for always..til their last breath! I dont think their arrogance stems from them being frustrated...it stems from their being ignorant!! Ano na contribute nila to help the country for them to be frustrated? Dapat nga mas ma-challenge pa sila to help the country than hamakin pa ito.

[heavygatin_but_cutie]

I think balikbayans esp. from the US tend to criticize everything while in the Philippines.  They complain about the trapik, the smells, the "undisciplined."  Palagi kinocompare sa States.  Nakakainis pakinggan.  Para bang sila lang ang may alam.  They fail to appreciate the better things in life in the Philippines like family and respect for their elders.  Yun lang po.

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well...not all balikbayans ha...pero i must agree na totoo ang sinasabi mo. well..i have friends na hindi naman ganyan..just the same..we need not generalize. i have friends who misses the trapik..the life in the Philippines. pero we cannot remove the fact na may mga pasaway din. I agree na they tend to compare..kaya nga yung commercial na "wala nyan sa States" hit the hearts of many Filipinos eh. Kasi nangyayari talaga. I agree to na some of the balikbayans who are airheaded tend to be blinded of what the US is compared to the Philippines. Kaya nga ang sarap tanungin nila pag mga nag-inarte sila na kung ano ang ginawa nila to improve the Philippines when they were here. They would blame that the country has no discipline, the country sucks. Question, were they really good citizens when they were still here? Sa US nasunod sila sa lahat ng regulations even traffic rules. Sa US they pay their taxes. Ang tanong, nun nandito sila...sumunod ba sila? nagbayad ba sila? sabi nga ng lumang kasabihan sa Filipino .. tingnan mo ang dumi mo sa mukha bago mo pansinin ang dumi sa mukha ng iba!!!

 

so.. for those balikbayans out there who will continue to criticize the Philippines...who will continuously put the country down..hmmm...better think twice. and if they cant stop it...well..the Philippines dont need them. They dont need to go back here!

[fourtyounce48]

i hope filipinos also keep an open regarding balikbayans. some when they visit the PI are just completely overwhelmed with everything including the social norms and other environmental factors. it can be quite frustrating to live in the PI, when you are used to US standards.

 

the important thing is to not be judgemental in comparing your motherland to your home. i dont have a problem pointing out things that are wrong in the PI just as long as you dont dwell on it continously. you have to expect cultural, environmental, social differences when visiting....and take it for what it is.

[fourtyounce48]

i actually have a theory regarding why some of the wealthier filipinos have some sort of animosity towards balikbayans. they are so used to acting so high and mighty they cant stand it when balikbayans dont care about their status and treat them no different than anybody else. for me i treat everyone the same no matter their social status....but some rich filipinos think theyre better than others. im not saying everyone is like this.....just some.

[fourtyounce48]

am i right?